Did you know that in 1850, in Maine, the first president-to-be of Boston College was beaten, tarred, and feathered by Know-Nothing thugs? He was Jesuit Father Johannes Bapst. Born in Switzerland in 1815, and ordained a priest in 1846, Father … Continue reading
Category: History
Will the Next Pope Be Crowned?
The announcement of Pope Benedict XVI on February 11, 2013 that he would leave the Papacy (he could not resign it, as there is no earthly authority into whose hands he could do so; he renounced the See of St. … Continue reading
Complacent Sentries and the Sloth of Roaming Unrest
This essay is an act of thanksgiving, not only a deeply humbling acknowledgment, to two non-Catholics, James Burnham and Whittaker Chambers—both of them long-suffering, wholehearted men —who saw more clear-sightedly and more deeply into the historical reality of the 1950s and … Continue reading
Former KGB Officer Putin Avoids Praise or Criticism of Stalin
AP News: The southern Russian city where the Red Army decisively turned back Nazi forces in a key World War II battle will once again be known as Stalingrad, at least on the days commemorating the victory, the regional legislature … Continue reading
More to Catholic Admiral Yamamoto Than Pearl Harbor
Karl Keating, Catholic Answers: Yesterday I wrote about seredipitously recovering one of my favorite books, Louis Chaigne’s biography of ambassador and poet Paul Claudel (1868-1955). Let me give you a bare outline of Claudel’s diplomatic career. Read full post here.
Our Lady of La Vang: The Catholic Side of Vietnam
The recent article about Vietnam by Dr. Robert Hickson, “Giving a Free Hand to the Assassins,” piqued my curiosity about the history and influence of Catholicism in Vietnam. His article clearly pits the Catholic Diem against the radical Buddhist monks … Continue reading
Attorney for Roe Laughed During Roe v. Wade SC Hearing
Ignitum Today: It is a little known fact that there was laughter in the United States Supreme Court 40 years ago during the Roe v. Wade hearings. Thought to be the youngest person ever to win a Supreme Court case, then … Continue reading
The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of the Council
A book review, by Michael J. Miller, of The Second Vatican Council: An Unwritten Story, by Professor Roberto de Mattei, reprinted with kind permission of Loreto Publications. The famous black-and-white photograph of the Second Vatican Council in session, taken from a high balcony … Continue reading
Archaeologists Locate City of St. Nicholas in Turkey
First Things: Archaeologists in Turkey are uncovering well-preserved remains of Myra, home of the beloved St. Nicholas in the third and fourth centuries. More on this here.
Ancient Hebrew Manuscripts Found in Northern Afghanistan
Catholic Online: A cache of Hebrew documents has been discovered in Afghanistan’s northeast region, a Taliban stronghold. The manuscripts, discovered in caves prove the first evidence of Jewish communities living in the devoutly Muslim country 1,000 years ago. More on … Continue reading
Honor in Foreign Policy
After some recent historical writing on Vietnam and its strategic milieu during the years 1962-1965, I became, perhaps for the first time, much more deeply aware of the presence or absence of Honor in the conduct of modern Foreign Policy. … Continue reading
Giving a Free Hand to the Assassins
Robert Hickson’s thoughtful reflections on U.S. complicity in the assassination of Vietnam’s Catholic President, Ngo Dinh Diem. It introduces Marguerite Higgins’ 1965 book on Vietnam, Our Vietnam Nightmare. The photos used came from the Ngo Dinh Diem Webpage. Click here to … Continue reading
Madame Nhu
The Mad Monarchist produced this video tribute to Tran Le Xuan, better known as Madame Nhu. His description, from the YouTube posting, is beneath the video. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTR1aJD84tU (Mad Monarchist) Madame Nhu, nicknamed the Dragon Lady, was born Tran Le Xuan … Continue reading
Sacrum Imperium
Christmas brings all sorts of joy, for all sorts of reasons. Readers of Dom Prosper Gueranger’s Liturgical Year will be reminded in his first volume for the season of three great historical events that took place on Christmas Day — … Continue reading
‘Who Painted It?’
We posted this as a news item back in 2009. But, being that yesterday was the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I decided to post it again, anew. As with her Son, and because of Him, Mary is … Continue reading